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Russia Summons Japanese Envoy Over Protests Against Putin’s Kuril Visit
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Russia summoned Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs following Tokyo’s formal protest over Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril Islands.
Japan maintains that the four southernmost islands of the Kuril chain, situated just north of Hokkaido prefecture, were unlawfully seized by the Soviet Union following its surrender in World War II. This territorial dispute has prevented the two nations from signing an official post-war peace treaty, as reported by The Moscow Times on August 18.
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Putin visited Iturup Island last Thursday, marking the first time a Russian president has set foot on the archipelago since Dmitry Medvedev's visit in 2010.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the trip as “completely unacceptable” and summoned Russia’s ambassador to Tokyo. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Japan of crossing a “line of decency” with its protest before summoning Ambassador Muto.
Muto did not immediately respond to the summons, prompting criticism from Lavrov on Monday. “We were told that he was not in Moscow, or that he was sick. We did not quite understand the situation,” Lavrov told reporters. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova later claimed Muto’s health “suddenly began to improve.”
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Muto initially delayed his response out of concern that Russian officials would dominate the meeting, but Tokyo instructed him to attend following internal discussions.
Russian news agency Interfax reported that Muto spent approximately 20 minutes at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and declined to answer questions from journalists as he departed.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Muto was summoned due to “anti-Russian” statements made by Takaichi. Russian officials informed the diplomat that Moscow reserves the right to implement retaliatory countermeasures, citing Tokyo's continued adherence to Western sanctions and its ongoing support for Kyiv.
Bilateral relations between the two countries have continuously declined following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Japan joined G7 partners in enacting sanctions against Moscow while providing financial and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine.
On August 14, 2026, the United States expressed full support for Japan regarding the sovereignty of the Kuril Islands following Vladimir Putin's first visit to the area during his rule.
The trip to the contested islands prompted an official protest from Tokyo, which maintains a historical claim over the Northern Territories.
In response, US Ambassador to Japan George Glass affirmed Washington's steadfast recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the region, while Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned Putin's visit as completely unacceptable and offensive to the Japanese people.
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